Explaining the Experiences of Nurses about Barriers of Religious Care in Hospitalized Patients: A Qualitative Study

Background and Objectives: The religious needs of hospitalized patients are reportedly not appropriately met. The purpose of this study was to explain the experiences of nurses about the barriers to providing religious care for hospitalized patients. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted on 21 nurses working in a hospital affiliated with Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran, in 2017, using the conventional content analysis. Data collection was performed using semi-structured interviews lasting about 60-95 min. Results: The barriers related to the nursing staff included efforts to meet the patient’s physical needs, not giving priority to religious care, lack of knowledge and skills, ambiguity in religious care, poor motivation for nursing, routine work, belief that religious care provision is apart from nursing duty, inability in communicating with the patient, lack of holistic care, and belief that religion is personal. In addition, the barriers related to the patient entailed the lack of patient's request for religious care, lack of knowledge about religious care as a part of nursing care, and physical condition. Finally, the management-related barriers pertained to the lack of facilities, including insufficient space, lack of religious books in the departments, lack of sand for Tayammum, lack of a prayer room, not facing the patients toward Qiblah, high workload, crowded wards, and nursing staff shortage. Conclusion: Nurses should consider religious care in hospitals as an important aspect of nursing care and receive necessary instruction on holistic care. Furthermore, nurses interested in this domain should receive support for the delivery of religious care.